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Chasing the Sky
Chasing the Sky is a pop-rock band from Grand Rapids, Michigan formed in 2009 by Brenden Stark and Tim Alexander, who had previously performed together in Slant and Middlefield. Chasing the Sky's influences range across 90s and early 2000s powerpop and emo, including Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Anberlin, Third Eye Blind, My Chemical Romance ''and ''Brand New. '' The band recorded two albums at Mackinaw Harvest Studios with Michael Crittenden and Christopher Andrus. It landed several placements in independent films and television commercials. The band announced a hiatus in 2017, followed by plans to release a new EP in 2019 or 2020. Associated acts include: Middlefield, Bless You Boys, Christopher Andrus, The Juno Blacklist, AG Silver, Domestic Problems, Your Best Friend, A Red Letter Year, and The Crane Wives. The band mixes an existential and socially conscious lyrical style with dramatic confessionals inherent to the pop-punk and emo genres, alongside references to pop-culture including the works of William Shakespeare, ''The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Marvel's X-Men ''films and comics, ''Battlestar Galactica (2002), Game of Thrones, Sons of Anarchy, and The Boondock Saints. Formation and The Empty Chair - EP (2009-2012) Chasing the Sky was formed by Brenden Stark and Tim Alexander (Middlefield and Slant), bassist Mike Ritz, and keyboardist Tiffany Brazeau. After writing an early set of songs, Stark recruited drummer Ryan Dekkinga (Alive After Death) and the band entered Mackinaw Harvest Studios with a set of early demos recorded by Michael Crittenden, who had previously produced both Middlefield albums and Stark's solo album "Avenues." During the recording process, Ritz was replaced on bass by Dekkinga's old Alive After Death bandmate and lifelong friend Kay VanAntwerpen who would also help revise the lyrics on "Satellites" and completely rewrite "The Glass Winter," and "Beautiful, Broken Thing". Chasing the Sky released "The Empty Chair - EP" on October 1st, 2010 at a Susan G. Komen Foundation charity CD release show hosted by The Intersection, supported by Domestic Problems, The Party's Over, and Christopher Andrus. The album sold somewhere around 1,000 copies before several lucrative advertising deals allowed the band to pay off its recording debts and release the EP digitally for free. In 2012, the EP's single "Beautiful, Broken Thing" was purchased by 20th Century Fox, Glee, and Chevrolet for use in Super Bowl XLV promotional material. The track was also used in a commercial for hard drive manufacturer Western Digital, and the album's instrumentals were used to score the film "Is Everybody Happy?"'' which documented the final tour of pop-rock band ''Bless You Boys. The EP received generally positive reviews, with critic John Sinkevics saying the band "makes well-crafted, pop-inflected rock with terrific harmonies in edgy songs that build to dynamic, inviting crescendos." Grand Rapids arts and entertainment magazine REVUE named the band one of their top "Artists on the Rise" and said of the EP: “It's no wonder Chasing the Sky promises to become 'the soundtrack to the most intimate moments of your life'. Its carefully crafted, high-energy sound pulls from modern pop-rock and indie influences, and often veers into ballad territory, featuring soaring vocals and heartbreakingly beautiful lyrics that aim to reveal each listener's story.” Meanwhile, magazine West Michigan Noise said: "What makes the sky so appealing is ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock. “A Certain Degree” brings the work forward on almost a 90s alternative rock foot. “The Glass Winter” almost channels a band like The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. “Beautiful, Broken Thing”, “Satellites” and “William (Forever Lost)” usher the listener out on an impressive note.” While promoting "The Empty Chair - EP" in 2012, Chasing the Sky was nominated by WGRD as best live performance, but lost to King Crabapple and Fine Fine Titans. The Empty Chair - EP was recorded at Mackinaw Harvest Studios by Michael Crittenden (Pop-Evil, Troll for Trout) and Christopher Andrus (Bless You Boys), and was mastered by Brooks Paschal (Versa Emerge, There for Tomorrow, Sullivan) at Mockingbird Studios. After the EP was released, guitarist Tim Alexander would resign due to the birth of his daughter, though he would ultimately return for the "King of the Losing Side" sessions. "The Empty Chair - EP" Tracklist # "Beautiful, Broken Thing" # "The Glass Winter" # "A Certain Degree" # "Satellites" # "William (Forever Lost)" # "The Glass Winter (Acoustic)" Behind the Tracks on The Empty Chair - EP * "Beautiful, Broken Thing" isn't the most played Chasing the Sky song, but it's the most financially successful -- having been featured in several commercials, including a Chevrolet and 21st Century FOX promo for the 2012 Superbowl involving the cast of popular television series Glee. * "The Glass Winter" was rooted in a poem VanAntwerpen had written prior to joining Chasing the Sky about the death of Holland, Michigan resident Jordan Dreyer -- who drowned in melted ice on Christmas Day. Stark came up with the title on accident after mishearing a friend during a game of Jenga. * "Satellites" was the very first collaboration in what would become a 10+ year writing partnership between Brenden Stark and Kay VanAntwerpen. The title is a stargazing metaphor for interpersonal relationships -- some are permanent and fixed in location (like stars in the night sky) and some are move through the sky for only a period of time and then disappear from view (satellites). * "William (Forever Lost)" is about the passing of Stark's father, Darrell Stark. He was the second death in the Stark family, following the death of Brenden's brother Matthew Stark. King of the Losing Side (2011-2017) After releasing "The Empty Chair - EP,"'' Chasing the Sky immediately returned to Mackinaw Harvest Studios to track demos for a full-length album, writing around 20 songs in the process. Meanwhile, the group performed at bars and arts festivals across Michigan. in Grand Rapids for Festival of the Arts. (Photo Credit Unknown) ]] Drummer Ryan Dekkinga departed during recording due to the birth of his first child. Former lead guitarist Dana Mika, upon hearing the completed studio version of "The Glass Winter", decided to rejoin the band and took Dekkinga's place on drums. Wanting to branch out into more dynamic sounds, the band added The Juno Blacklist keyboardist Cassidy Warner, and later added The Juno Blacklist frontman Trevor Atkinson on lead guitar and vocals. Longtime co-writer and Stark's former Middlefield bandmate Tim Alexander rejoined as a vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist. The band released three singles as entries in Grand Rapids' Art Prize -- "Stories" in 2011, "The Devil Dressed in White" in 2012, and "Imposters" in 2013. Around Christmas 2015, the band released a live recording of the b-side "... And Shepherds We Will Be" which had been revised and performed by Romance for Ransom vocalist Melissa Dylan. ''King of the Losing Side was released in spring of 2017. It was again recorded by Michael Crittenden and Christopher Andrus. Shortly after the King of the Losing Side's release, Dana Mika, Trevor Atkinson, and Cassidy Warner resigned -- meanwhile bassist/lyricist Kay VanAntwerpen was diagnosed with avascular necrosis and temporarily confined to a wheelchair. The band went on hiatus to give VanAntwerpen time to recover, while Stark began recording a re-imagining of his early solo album Avenues. '' At the end of 2017, the band announced it would return with Brenden Stark, Kay VanAntwerpen, and Tim Alexander -- promising a "pop-protest" album was in the works. '"King of the Losing Side"' 'Track List' # "Fangs!" # "Stories" # "Dysphoria" # "King of the Losing Side" # "Viper" # "Colorblind (The Ghost in the Passenger Seat)" # "Bliss" # "The Devil Dressed in White" # "Imposters" # "King of the Losing Side (Acoustic Version)" # "'... And Shepherds We Will Be' (Live Acoustic B-Side, Featuring Melissa Dylan of Romance for Ransom)" '''Influences and References on ''King of the Losing Side' * "''Stories" is the band's most played and most popular song to date. The line "I'll fight like a lion this time, not the orphan you took from the cold" is a reference to the description of MacBeth and Banquo in Act I, Scene II of of Shakespeare's MacBeth. VanAntwerpen had already written many of the lyrics (though not in order) in a notebook before being asked to join the band, as potential songs for an acoustic two-piece called A Sidewalk Redemption. * The title "Dysphoria" came from Kay VanAntwerpen's relationship with the transgender community (they later came out as genderqueer), though VanAntwerpen's original lyrics would almost all be scrapped and rewritten into a new idea by Tim Alexander. VanAntwerpen and Alexander agreed on subject matter during a drunken, early-morning conversation while on a songwriting camping trip. * "Viper" was the first song written with The Juno Blacklist members Cassidy Warner and Trevor Andrew Atkinson contributing musically. * Stark and VanAntwerpen wrote the lyrics and chords to "Colorblind (The Ghost in the Passenger Seat)" at the end of the "Empty Chair" sessions, but decided to save it for a future album -- it's a loose adaptation of an award-winning poem by VanAntwerpen. * "The Devil, Dressed in White" was written the night Stark and VanAntwerpen learned a friend of the band had been sexually assaulted. The lead guitar in chorus two is an homage to "Degausser" from Brand New's 2006 album The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me. * "Imposters" was developed in concept by Stark and VanAntwerpen because of their mutual love for "*(Fin)" as a closing track on Anberlin's album Cities. '' * "... And Shepherds We Will Be''" was written about the passing of VanAntwerpen's grandfather, the line "some people only want recognition and response" is a mantra their grandfather commonly repeated. Untitled Third Album/Defiant (2019) By the end of 2018, production on album three had slowed. Stark was primarily focused on completing his sophomore solo album, and had contracted VanAntwerpen as a lyricist on the project. VanAntwerpen was still recovering from the surgeries, and had a superseding commitment as an editor on an unannounced non-fiction book. Alexander decided to step reduce his role from band member to contributing writer. In January 2019, Stark and VanAntwerpen announced that while their other projects were taking priority, they had been working on several songs. VanAntwerpen posted a screenshot of a sketchbook with eight working track titles: # Children of the Atom # Dannica # The Lions that Guard the Sheep # Dead Friends # The Seventh Head of Hydra # Defiant # Islanded in a Stream of Stars # The Scorpion On January 23, VanAntwerpen posted the lyrics to the chorus of a new track called "Defiant" describing it as the band's first true rock anthem. Members * Brenden Stark: Vocals, guitar, and drums. Can be heard on The Empty Chair - EP and King of the Losing Side. * Tim Alexander: 'Vocals, guitar, lyricist. Can be heard on ''The Empty Chair -- EP and King of the Losing Side. * '''Kay VanAntwerpen: Bass, backing vocals, primary lyricist. Can be heard on The Empty Chair -- EP and King of the Losing Side. * Dana Mika: Vocals, drums, guitar. Can be heard on The Empty Chair -- EP and King of the Losing Side. * Cassidy Warner: '''Keyboard. Can be heard on ''King of the Losing Side ''and "The Glass Winter (Noble Version)." * '''Trevor Andrew Atkinson: Vocals, guitar, drums. Can be heard on King of the Losing Side. * Mike Ritz: 'Guitar, Vocals. Can be heard on ''The Empty Chair - EP. * 'Ryan Dekkinga: '''Drums, backing vocals. Can be heard on The Empty Chair -- EP. '' '''Contributors * Tom Steimel: Various arrangements on "Bliss is Ignorance." * Jay Bolt: Various arrangements. * Melissa Dylan: 'Arrangements and lyric rewrites on "... And Shepherds We Will Be" * '''Christopher Andrus: '''Arrangements and backing vocals throughout ''The Empty Chair -- EP and King of the Losing Side. * '''Michael Crittenden: Arrangements and backing vocals throughout The Empty Chair -- EP and King of the Losing Side. * Arie Boon: The title "Bliss is Ignorance" Media Appearances * 2010 - "GR30K" (Film) * 2010 -" Is Everybody Happy?" (Film) * 2011 - Chevrolet and Glee Super Bowl XLV Commercial (Advertisement, Behind the Scenes) * 2011 - Western Digital Hard Drive "Beautiful Moments" (Advertisement) * 2012 - WGRD's Best Live Performance Award (Nominated) * 2012 - West Michigan Noise's Best Michigan Pop-Rock Act. (Runner-up) __FORCETOC__ Category:Artists Category:Grand Rapids Artists Category:Queer Artists Category:Grand Rapids Queer Artists Category:2010s Grand Rapids Artists